Middle/Senior School Bulletin Issue 13 / 05 September 2014
Middle & Senior School News Time flies when you are engaged in the process of learning! As I write, our Year 12 students are sitting the first of their QCS tests. While QCS testing days are a stressful time for the students, they know within themselves that they are well-prepared. The College holds every confidence that each of them will finish these exams knowing that they applied themselves to the best of their ability. On Tuesday morning, our Year 11 students cooked breakfast for the Year 12s as a symbol of their support and care. As a cohort, the Year 12s were full of energy and an eagerness to just get started on the exams. While the preparations for these tests are cumulative and something that spans across their learning experiences from P-12, I’d like to acknowledge Mrs Christina Wrigley (Head of Teaching and Learning) and the Year 12 teachers for their tireless efforts towards assisting students to achieve to their full potential.
Building Connections As a new initiative, our Year 8 and Year 4 students are enjoying reading together. Ms Dockstader and Ms Gibson’s classes have been working in House group partnerships this year to improve reading skills and to build connections and mentoring relationships which will undoubtedly continue to grow in the years to come. When the Year 8s are our graduating class of 2018, the Year 4 students will be in Year 8. It is our hope that the reading program will continue to link these cohorts for many years to come.
Senior Music Evening Last Thursday was the Senior Music Evening and those who attended were treated to some spectacular performances. One dad was pleasantly surprised when his daughter not only sang beautifully, but also played the guitar, a skill he didn’t know she had been mastering. We were treated to renditions of Radiohead and Cold Play which, in my opinion, were better than the originals and the evening closed with a touching original composition that I hope to download from iTunes. It was a humbling showcase of gifts and talents. Thank you to all of the performers and to Mr Oakley-Grant for what was an inspiring evening.
Year 10 City XP On Tuesday our Year 10 students took part in a self-guided Brisbane based excursion. As a new initiative, the City XP enriches the curriculum at Year 10 where students already participate in Destinations and Work Experience as part of their ‘Preparation for Senior’ journey. This excursion focussed on building Team Work, Problem Solving, Independence and Competence, as students navigated their way through Brisbane CBD and engage with key civic and educational institutions. Thank you to Mr Nelson for developing the program and for the other staff who have assisted in making this experience for our students possible.
Tanguy if you have any questions relating to the Edge, or GOOGA camp. Year 12 Formal Our Year 12s will be celebrating their formal on Saturday 18 October at the Marriott. Parents are invited to attend pre-dinner drinks starting at 5.30pm. A letter will be sent home to all Year 12 families at the start of next term as a reminder of the expectations for the event. Moderation Day - Pupil Free – Monday 20 October Teachers around the state will be moderating Year 12 student work on Monday 20 October. We have several teachers from St Andrews on panels. All other staff from P-10 will be engaged in meetings on this day. This will be a pupil free day for all students P-12. Presentation Night This is a compulsory evening for all students in Years 4 -12 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Thursday 13 November. The evening commences at 6.30pm. During this evening we will farewell our Year 12 students, acknowledge the work of our students throughout the year and celebrate who we are as a community. More information about this evening will be available soon.
We’re not there yet! Students are entering the two busiest weeks of the term and all classes will be working right up to the end of the term. Please contact your child’s teachers if you have any questions or concerns regarding final assessments or any aspect of your child’s work. I also encourage you to remind your child(ren) that it is in these busy times that they need to show grit and perseverance. Looking Ahead As this is the final bulletin for Term 3, what is to follow relates to the key dates and information for the last two weeks of Term 3 and the start of Term 4. Best wishes to our Year 7 students who are leaving for Canberra on Monday 15 September. They will undoubtedly enjoy soaking up all of the incredible learning experiences on offer in our Nation’s Capital. Best wishes also to the students and staff who are travelling to Japan on a study tour. The final day of classes for Term 3 is Thursday 18 September. Academic Progress Reports for students in Years 7-12 will be posted home in Week 10. Parents are encouraged to discuss this report with their child and to help him/her to set goals for the start of Term 4. All students in the Middle and Senior School start Term 4 on Tuesday 7 October. The Edge A reminder to parents of boys in Year 9 that The Edge program begins on Tuesday 7 October (first day back of Term 4). Students will be undertaking their Service-Learning projects. The Edge program for all Year 9 girls begins on Tuesday 21 October. Please contact Mr Casey or Mr
Staffing Updates Ms Karling MacAskill will be leaving to travel overseas with her partner at the end of Term 3. I would like to thank Karling for her dedicated work in our Design Technology area this year and wish her well in her travels and future endeavours. We are in the process of finding a suitable replacement. When the time arrives, I pray that all families will enjoy the rest and relaxation that comes with the change of pace and warm weather that typifies the September break. Virginia Warner Head of Secondary School virginiaw@salc.qld.edu.au
Chaplains Chat Where Faith, Fact and Fiction Agree Or to state it more specifically what do Dr. Who, the Apostle Paul and a student at St Andrews have in common? Story One. Fiction Dr. Who (to his assistant): Am I a good man? Assistant: I don’t know. Some time later. After defeating the Darliks, Dr. Who: I sometimes get it wrong? But I do try to be good. Assistant: That is what matters. Story Two. Fact Student: I want to be a good man, but I am not. I try but I can’t get there. Response: The want is where goodness is, we always fall short in the performance.
Story Three. Faith The Apostle Paul: Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. Romans 7.18,19.23-25. To be a good person is a worthwhile pursuit, but if we look at history even the people we see as heroes when we learn about their lives we discover deep flaws. Even those who bear the title Saint are also awfully human. The Doctor is right, the best we can get is the want to be good. So do we just have to sit back and be content to be wannabes, struggling and never getting there. It is here that St Paul with his struggle is helpful. He knows a goodness that is not performance based but is gift - the gift of God in Christ. When in our quest for goodness we fail, yet again, we can pick ourselves up through the forgiveness that is ours because of Jesus and try again. Maybe the Doctor is wrong because it is more than the desire to do good. We can know a perfect goodness that is pure unconditional gift. A gift that empowers us to “pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” Pastor Terry Unger
Skills Tests this week. They have toiled away over the last 8 months to fine tune the skills that almost 13 years of schooling has developed. Also thanks to Mrs Wrigley for her fine preparation of our Year 12’s for this very important series of tests. •
The Year 11’s who volunteered their time to come in at 7am and prepare breakfast for the Years 12’s. This is a St Andrews tradition that we began last year and very much appreciated by our Seniors who need a good solid protein breakfast to get their brains ready for the two days of intense testing.
•
Our Student Representative Council who ran a Senior School Movie Night. The Benchwarmers was an excellent choice and hopefully the movie night will become an annual event and be supported by our students. Thanks to Mr Smith, Mrs Stockwell, Mrs Bartel and Mrs Myles for giving up their time to support this new initiative.
•
The 18 Middle and Senior School girls who are participating in the Personal Style Workshop. The course is run by Elizabeth Wilson focusing on deportment, etiquette and grooming. (See photo of Taylor Garlick and Olivia Howell fine tuning their skills with a straightening iron).
If you have any concerns or queries please contact me on tanias@salc.qld.edu.au Tania Stewart Head of Senior School
Senior School News Positive Psychology This week in the Senior School we ran our separate gender assemblies. The aim of these sessions is to address issues specific to boys and girls. This week the ladies focused on what the statement “just like a girl” means, how to give and take a compliment, power posing to increase confidence and self-esteem and sharing conversations about what young teenage girls should know. The boys focused on what it means to persevere. It was fantastic to see them connect with each other, share positive emotions, build relationships with other grades, engage with different ideas and challenge stereotypes. Congratulations to: • The Year 12’s who completed the Queensland Core
The course will cost $1200 including course materials. See Mrs Wrigley for more details or contact Nolan Giles at Designworks College directly on 5535 0298.
Careers News With less than three weeks to go until the end of term, YEAR 12 students are urged to place their applications to university via QTAC for study in 2015. Students are advised to have their application completed before the end of this term as the official closing date is Friday 30 September. After this date the application fee jumps from $35 to $130. Students and parents are welcome to meet with Mrs Wrigley for more information and help with applying.
University of Queensland: WE Explore Engineering Day Tuesday 16 September, 8:45am - 2:30pm at Hawken Building, UQ St Lucia Campus. The WE Explore Engineering Day is set to excite and inspire Year 12 students to consider a career in engineering. Students participate in interactive workshops and learn about careers in engineering. http://www.eait.uq.edu.au/we-explore-engineering-day
Reminder that applications for the Direct Entry Diploma courses through TAFE, the SCU STAR Direct Entry scheme and the Griffith University Guaranteed Admissions and Academic Bursary Scholarship schemes all close before the end of this term. See Mrs Wrigley for more information, application details and forms about all of these schemes.
Working with Animals Careers Expo Friday 19 September 8:00am - 2:00 pm at the CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. There will be representatives from different animal fields, including the RSPCA, Dept of Primary Industries Sniffer Dog Team, GCCC, Unis and TAFES with Animal Related courses and, of course, the CWS Staff! Cost is $5.00 per student and $15.00 for entry to the Sanctuary.
Queensland University of Technology: Women in Engineering Scholarship Applications close Friday 21 November.
Aviation Australia Careers Day Saturday 13 September, 8:30am - 10:30am at 25 Boronia Rd, Eagle Farm, Brisbane
Female students finishing Year 12 this year who are looking to pursue a degree in Engineering at QUT can apply for one of 10 Women in Engineering Scholarships for 2015. The scholarship is valued at $6,000 to assist in study costs. https://www.qut.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships-and-prizes/women-in-engineering-scholarship UQ Architectural Design Workshop : 2 - 3 October This design workshop is led by Kahn Neil, director of Studio Mitt and Lecturer at UQ.
Explore the Brisbane campus, experience some of the most advanced training equipment and speak to industry experts to discover what life as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer is really like. http://www.aviationaustralia.aero/engineering/Open-Nights. php
Students will experience the day-to-day learning environment and facilities that they will encounter during the studio-based architectural design course at The University of Queensland. Students will be introduced to creative problem solving in architectural design by working through a design exercise for a hypothetical project, assisted by experienced studio advisors. Students will also be introduced to basic measuring, drawing conventions and the concept of scale in drawings, further to communicating ideas about form, space and human occupation. There are no prerequisite skills required for participation in this workshop and students will be provided with all required materials. The cost is $220 per student. For information, contact: Kahn Neil Phone: 3102 9500 Email: info@studiomitt.com.au web: studiomitt.com.au The Designworks College Designworks in West Burleigh is offering a Certificate III in Design Fundamentals to Year 11 and 12 school students commencing Friday 30 January 2015. This new program, which will run for 30 weeks every Friday from 9:00am – 3:00pm throughout the school calendar, will equip creatively inclined students with the skills to move into further graphic design studies.
Billy Blue Design College: Day in the Life of a Designer Workshop Saturday 20 September, 10:00am – 4:00pm at Brisbane Campus, 10 Costin Street, Fortitude Valley Experience a hands-on, practical workshop by spending a day working through a design brief. You will generate ideas, produce artwork and concepts and follow your creation through to production. http://www.billyblue.edu.au/news-events/upcoming-events/ brisbane/brisbane-ditl-sept Endeavour College of Natural Health Open Day Saturday 11 October, 10:00am – 12:30pm at All Endeavour Campuses. Find out about careers in natural health, attend mini lectures to get a taste of the Bachelor of Health Science degrees, take a campus tour and get your questions answered by staff and students. http://www.naturalhealthopenday.com.au/ Help Exchange If you’re interested in taking a gap year, check out Help Exchange. It is an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, inns, backpacker hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation. http://helpexchange.net/
IEP Working Adventures Worldwide Online Information Sessions Taking place on Wednesday 10 September (AEST)
Any Year 10 or 11 students contemplating undertaking a school based traineeship are urged to see or email Mrs Wrigley regarding positions available.
• • • •
Career Plan Meetings with Mrs Wrigley can be arranged via email christina@salc.qld.edu.au or by phoning her on 5568 5900 or via Senior Administration.
Work USA: 6:00pm – 6:30pm. Work Canada: 6:30pm – 7:00pm. Summer Camp USA: 7:00pm – 7:30pm Work Britain and Work Britain Visa Kick Start: 7:30pm – 8:00pm.
To register for the information session/s visit: http://www.iep.com.au/infosessions Job Outlook Career Quiz The Job Outlook Career Quiz takes students’ answers to a small range of questions and provides them with detailed career profiles for jobs in fields that might suit them. The career profiles include future job prospects, skills needed for that job, vacancies, training opportunities and any relevant reports or links.
ICAS COMPETITIONS 2014 Now that all competitions have been completed, test papers for Year 7-11 students who entered and paid for their competitions can expect to receive back their questions papers via their Learning Advisors. Students whose results qualify them for a certificate, will have them awarded at a school assembly. Christina Wrigley Head of Learning and Teaching christina@salc.qld.edu.au
Students with a specific job or field in mind can also search directly for detailed information. http://joboutlook.gov.au/careerquiz.aspx My Health Career: How Long Does It Take to Become a Fully Qualified Doctor? https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/medicine/how-longdoes-it-take-to-become-a-doctor Occupational Therapy Australia This website offers a list of Universities around Australia that offer entry level courses into Occupational Therapy. http://www.otaus.com.au/work-or-study/university-programs Speech Pathology Australia This website provides information about a career in Speech Pathology as well as a list of University courses that will get you into the field. A multimedia presentation also provides more information about career opportunities. http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/educationand-careers/career-opportunities Student Edge Career Profiles Ever wanted to know what it is really like to be a Police Officer? Engineer? Hairdresser? Check out a day in the life of a whole range of careers at Student Edge. These are real people with real stories. http://www.studentedge.com.au/video-pages/career-videos. aspx Griffith University: Musical Theatre Summer School 2015 Sunday 18 - Friday 23 January (Sunday 12:30pm – 5:00pm, Monday - Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm) High school students aged 13 and above that have a passion for musical theatre are encouraged to apply for a sixday course at Griffith University in January. The week will consist of singing, dancing, and acting and will culminate in a performance. Course fee $560. Apply online via: http:// www.griffith.edu.au/music/musical-theatre/high-schooland-community-programs
Middle School News Year 7 Canberra Trip Students from Year 7 at St Andrews will soon be undertaking an educational tour of the National Capital. While on this tour they will participate in a variety of educational programmes focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist you (the parent) in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing $60 per eligible student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Programme toward the travel expenses incurred. This contribution will be paid directly to the College upon completion of the excursion. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support of this programme. We hope that the excursion is a rewarding experience for all students. Please note that the Government’s rebate has already been included in the budgeting for this trip and, accordingly, will not feature as a separate rebate for parents. There is an air of excitement about the College at the moment as the trip draws near and I look forward to joining the Year 7s on this visit to our Nation’s Capital, although this year I will heed the advice of the Year 7 staff and pack warm clothes. 2015 Subject Selection By the time that this Bulletin comes out we will have opened elective subject selections for 2015. Should your child have had any difficulties with this process then please encourage them to contact Ms Jestrimski in the Middle School Administration. Tom Casey Head of Middle School tomc@salc.qld.edu.au
All participants are commended on their efforts, grit, determination and commitment to learning.
Student Development Learning Humility and Forgiveness Through Chapels this term our secondary students have been exposed to teachings from St Pauls writings in the New Testament. These teachings have centred on forgiveness, humility, self-regulation and the way we might grow in these character strengths. These character strengths are more natural for some, but all of us can work on these, and our students can certainly benefit from increased awareness of these strengths of character in action. As Christians we also see these strengths as being from Christ and to give Christ glory and worship, not only for our well-being. An example is Philippians 2:1-18 which reminds us that as we value this and build it within our communities and families we might experience more of God’s complete Joy. This is a wonderful promise, worthy of our attention, reflection, prayer and discussion. It is in relationships that we must seek to have the mindset of Christ Jesus, including humility, self-control and being resolute on this to the end. Though we work this out for ourselves, we can also see this through faith as God’s work in us. As we have spent time modelling and teaching some of this to the students in secondary school, can I encourage parents that might make reference to this if you are seeking to work with your children on growing and developing these character strengths. For parents looking to leverage off some of the teaching this term, please feel free to make contact and discuss ideas and activities for embedding lessons focussed on humility, forgiveness and self-regulation.
Year 7 Kyra Pearse, Misha Varley 5th (Japanese), Caitlin Gabriel HC (Japanese), Emma Mackenzie, Alannah Malligan Year 8 Jett Crossley HC (Japanese), Jordon Dillon, Holly Burnett, Yasmin Spencer Year 9 Charlotte Trebilcock HC (Japanese), Olivia English 2nd (German) Year 10 Paris McKay-Holley HC (Japanese), Ben Wooldridge HC (German) Year 11 Matt Brincat HC (German) Year 12 Zach Thomson-Smith, Virginia Guthrie HC (German) Rebekah Hill Head of Languages
Art News Expressive Grounds Battle of the Bands Last weekend two bands featuring some of our talented musicians competed in a local Battle of the Bands Competition heat at Expressive Grounds. The Polaroids (featuring Elliott Baylis, Jonathon Aiello and Izak Schache) won their heat and Raw Deep (featuring Nathan and Aaron Lindsay and Jason Ryan) came third and also won the Peoples Choice Award. The final will be held 12 September 2014.
James Nelson Director of Student Development jamesn@salc.qld.edu.au
LOTE News MLTAQ Speech Competition and Other Languages News There are many opportunities to practice one’s Japanese and German in realistic situations at St Andrews. In addition to regular class activities such as interviews with classmates, surveys, ‘speed conversations’, visiting speakers and scavenger hunts, excursions, Skype sessions with Japan, exchange visits from Japan and trips to Japan and Germany, the languages department was recently busy preparing for the annual MLTAQ State Speech Competition. I am enormously proud of the following students for rising to the challenge, writing an authentic speech about themselves of several pages in length (apart from Year 7), memorising it, and being able to answer questions about the content of their speech.
Cultural Awards 2014 Our annual Cultural Awards will be held Friday 10th October (Term 4 Week 1) 6.30pm in The Ruth Butler Theatre This is a wonderful showcase of the year that has been and an opportunity to acknowledge individual student achievement. The following is the criteria for Cultural Awards in 2014 in both the Junior School, Middle and Senior School:
Essential Criteria for all levels: Active Participation in school cultural activities Bronze Award This is awarded to students who • Have been involved in several ( 3 – 4 ) cultural groups/ activities throughout the year OR • Passed Grade 5 or above in Music, Dance or Speech & Drama Exam OR • Are nominated for outstanding contribution to a College ensemble/activity Silver Award • Grade 5 or above in Music or Speech & Drama Exam & involvement in cultural groups/activities throughout the year OR • Major Award at Regional level (GC Drama Festival / Eisteddfod Championships etc) Gold Award • Representation at State level or equivalent in chosen discipline OR • Major Award (eg. Top of State in Speech & Drama Exam)
Our celebration continued with Chapel on Monday celebrating the gift of Science and how good Science can be used to help solve malnutrition and hunger related diseases. On Monday night the Science Department provided a show case of Science for the Middle School Expo. On Tuesday, ten student teams competed in the Griffith University Science Trivia Challenge against other local schools. This was a record number of teams for St Andrews. Congratulations to the following students who worked their way through six rounds of very tough questions: Year 12: Ashleigh Blake, Harry Clancy, Chloe Ivak, Jason Ryan
In the Junior School we base the awards on information gathered from rolls and PAT Staff. If your child has been involved in Arts Activities outside of school, please email priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au
Year 12: Torin Bambridge-Lozan, Jordan Darlington, Luke Malcolm, Robbie Piggott
NB: This information must be received before the end of Week 8 to be considered.
Year 10: Maddison Good, Zac Irwin, Paris McKay-Holley, Chelsea Vermillion
In the Middle and Senior School, students will be invited to submit a Cultural Awards Survey which allows us to determine levels of awards presented at the start of Term 4.
Year 9: Alex Blackborough, Kara Batchelor, Nicole Richards, Keely McVay
Cilla Scott Head of Arts priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au
Year 11: Morgan Atkins, Spencer Brown, Luke Butterworth, Jacinda Pagels
Year 8: Ben Allan, Harrison Craig-Ward, Kye Fielder, Tahlya Slatyer Year 8: Holly Burnett, Aarya Shaibani, Fin Wardrop Year 7: Mitchell Blackborough, Duke Lawson, Ethan McVay, Joshua Palfreyman Year 7/6: Bronte Good, Sarah-Anne Hornsey, Lili James, Mabel Warth
Science News During Week 6 National Science Week was celebrated around Australia. This year’s theme was Food for our Future: Science feeding the world. At St Andrews the excitement began at the end of week 5 when four of our Year 8 students (Ben Allan, Hayden Verschuure, Khai Bowie and Kye Fielder) were placed third in the Theiss Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition. The bridge building project was part of the Science and Maths Excellence elective. Being placed third was a fantastic effort, given that this was the first time St Andrews had entered the competition. Special thanks to Mr Smith for his supervision of this project, also to the students of the Science and Maths Excellence elective and of course to the expert bridge builders who claimed a prize in the competition.
Year 6: Xavier Cairns-Betts, Ethan Chant, Soham Kale, Freya Sambain Thank you to Mrs Lisa Roper who accompanied and supervised the Year 6 and 7 students. I am delighted to announce that one of the Year 8 teams (Ben Allan, Harrison Craig-Ward, Kye Fielder, Tahlya Slatyer) was placed second in a field of 40 teams. Other notable results included the Year 6 team who tied for third place, the Year 7 team who came fifth and the Year 11 team who were placed 7th in a field of 80 teams. Mrs Jenny Lotz Head of Science
Uniformshop News
Dates to Remember September
Senior Blazers for 2015 Orders are due by Thursday 18 September (last day of term). All Year 9 parents should have received an email regarding ordering Senior Blazers for next year. Orders for new blazers must be in by the end of this term to ensure they arrive in time for official school photos in the first week of Term 1 2015. Requests for 2nd hand blazers will be taken on a first in basis so be quick if you would like to secure a 2nd hand blazer. For more information contact the Uniform Shop on 5568 5933 or uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au Current Year 10-11 students requiring a larger blazer for next year, please contact the Uniform Shop before the end of this term. Jacqui Desfosses Uniform Shop Manager uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Tuesday 9 South Coast Secondary Regional Athletics Track & Field 19 Yrs & Under Music Extension Concert 6:30pm - 8:00pm RBT Thursday 18 King of the Hill Fun Run Champion Basketball School of Qld (selected students) Last Day of Term 3 Friday 19 Student Free Day 14 - 29 September Japan Trip 15 - 19 September Canberra Trip 20 September - 19 October ENERGIES 2014 Tuesday 7 October Start of Term 4
LAST CHANCE! Only at St Andrews! Purchase an Entertainment Book and go into the draw for a chance to win a double pass to Yatala Drive-in! Entertainment Memberships contain thousands of valuable up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from many of the best restaurants, cafĂŠs, arts, attractions, hotel accommodation, travel and much more! The price is $55.00 per book and $11.00 from each book goes to fundraising for the College. Books are available from Reception, Junior School Administration and the Uniform Shop. *CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOW*
INSIGHTS Building parent-school partnerships
WORDS Michael Grose
Being a great dad
Many dads tell me that they want a better relationship with their children, particularly their sons, than they had with their own fathers.
There’s no doubt that fathering has changed in
2 Spend time with your sons
recent years. Gone is the distant dad of the 1960’s
A dad can do little wrong in the eyes of a young
and 70’s who saw his main job as keeping a roof
boy. From around the age of five years a boy
over his family’s head and bread on the table. An
thinks his dad is like superman. Ironically, he may
occasional game in the backyard and dishing out
give his mum a hard time at this stage. Dads need
the heavy discipline that mums couldn’t deal with
to spend as much time with their sons in these
was the extent of his involvement with his kids. Many dads tell me that they want a better relationship with their children, particularly their sons, than they had with their own fathers. Sadly, many men still don’t enjoy a close relationship with their fathers, but they are determined to change things with their own kids.
impressionable years as possible. They just need
6 Support your partner
to be careful not to push their sons too hard or
Fathers may play an integral part in the lives of their children but they also have a profound effect on the quality of mothering that children receive. There is little doubt that a woman who can share the emotional and financial burdens of childrearing with a supportive partner is more likely to be a loving, affirming mother. Supportive fathering is one of the keys to better mothering.
turn every game into a lesson. That’s when boys turn off their dads.
3 Don’t whimp out on discipline Dads are traditionally the kings of play, but they can go missing when it comes to discipline. They get their kids excited in a game before going to
Here are seven ideas to help you form close relationships with your kids, and maximise your effectiveness as a parent and a partner:
bed, then expect their partner to settle them
1 Find something in
There are strong links between close fathering
down. It helps if both parents can take their share
7 Change as your child changes
of managing children’s behaviour.
Kids grow up at the speed of light and change before you know it. They’re kids one day and teenagers the next. They can catch many fathers unaware. The most effective dads are those who change their parenting to suit the needs of their kids at each stage of development, rather than stubbornly hold to outmoded ideas of how they think their kids should be.
4 Treat your daughters well and the healthy development of girls. Dads teach
common with your kids Dads need something in common with their children. They relate better when they have a
their daughters strong lessons about how they should be treated by males. So dads need to treat their daughters respectfully so they learn to
shared interest or shared passion with their kids.
expect this treatment in their future relationships
Many men relate to their kids while being active,
with men.
and teach many important lessons through
5 Say good bye Superman,
games and play. But if sport is not your bag, find something else that you and your kids have in common. A common interest is a great help for
that plays out in many Australian homes. Verbal jousting matches are a popular father-son game where boys take great delight in proving their fathers are fallible. A dad at this stage needs a sense of humour as well as a willingness to stand back and allow other mentors in to his son’s life.
hello Clarke Kent
Adolescent boys are programmed to challenge their fathers. It’s part of the growing up process.
fathers who live apart from their kids who are
Australian author John Marsden refers to
looking to maximise the time they have with
this phenomenon as the ‘old ram, young ram
them.
syndrome’. He’s right. It’s a type of rite of passage
Those fathers who are a little apprehensive or lack sufficient confidence should become involved in as many aspects of parenting as they can. The best way to learn about parenting is by doing it. Children are a terrific resource for fathers - men can learn about children from children themselves. By being alert, watchful and learning to listen to their children fathers can learn all they need to know about parenting.
from Michael Grose. Join Stay one step ahead of your kids with great ideas & expert advice b.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did. Michael’s NEW Parentingideas Club today at parentingideasclu © 2014 Michael Grose
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